Living in halls as an international student

Moving to university as an international student is scary. I felt alone and homesick, and if you do too, that's okay.

Here's my experience and some advice to ease your worries and anxieties.

One of my favourite memories from living in halls is from early February 2025. I was still in my first year of university, and as an international student, there wasn't many people I knew, let alone people from my home country. It was a Saturday afternoon, and I had no plans. I was doomscrolling on social media when I came upon the ResLife Instagram page. They had posted about showing the Rugby match in the Bishop Gate social space, so I immediately called my brother and told him to meet me downstairs in the next hour to watch the game.

The time for the event arrived, and my brother and I met downstairs and proceeded to the social space where the match was being shown. The atmosphere was relaxed and very welcoming. The event was run by someone who would later become a close friend of mine. We began casually talking to get to know each other, and about life as a university student and the city of Coventry. Lo and behold, in the middle of the conversation, the student mentioned that he is also a Zambian like myself who had relocated from Zambia to Coventry to pursue both his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

At the time, I had only been in Coventry for a month, but I felt incredibly homesick because I had never been away from home for so long. It was so heartwarming to have met someone from back home who knew exactly what I was going through. The event itself lasted around 3 hours, but after the match, we all stayed back and talked until about 9-10pm.

It'll always stand out as my favourite memory living in student halls because never in my wildest imagination did I think I would meet someone from back home, let alone only a month after starting university.

1. Start connecting with people from the beginning

• Don't wait until you're lonely to reach out. The first few weeks are awkward for everyone, but that's why it's best to make connections then.
• Connections can be made through shared meals, outings, or even just a movie night together in the cinema rooms.

2. Attend ResLife events

• Sometimes it's not about the event itself, but rather the people you meet there. I'm not a huge sports fan, but watching Rugby became one of the highlights of my first year because of the people I met there.
• If you're living in a studio and feel like the workload from school is weighing you down, go downstairs and attend the ResLife events. They can help you de-stress and give you a distraction for a while. It may also help you reset and re-strategise if you're feeling lost in your work.
• Exams and assignments can get overwhelming, so it's important to look after yourself and keep your mind busy away from school for just a little while. 

3. Pour back into your cup

• Living in halls away from home means it is entirely up to you to balance your social life, academics, and independence all at once. It is easy to forget to take care of yourself and just focus on the academics. But it's important to balance out your school life by pouring into yourself. Equally prioritise studying with self-care.
• Doing little things like taking a stroll to the park and doing things that remind you of home can boost your mental health a lot!

For me, meeting someone from Zambia reminded me that I'm not alone. And even if it takes a little longer to find "your people", take small steps to ensure your wellbeing is looked after.